Treasury of Fantastic and Mythological Creatures: 1,087 Renderings from Historic Sources

by Richard Huber

Drawing on centuries of history, this work is an encyclopedic collection — undoubtedly the largest royalty-free collection of its kind — of devils, dragons, mythical creatures, fanciful beasts, animal-gods, totemic figures, and other supernatural beasts from the darker regions of man's imagination. Spanning many cultures and eras, the collection ranges from prehistoric rock paintings to the drawings of Max Ernst, from the masks of black Africa to the gargoyles of Notre Dame.
This volume incudes over 1,000 renderings of designs from ancient Egypt, Greece, and the Middle winged lions, harpies, griffins, satyrs, dragons, and more. Medieval centuries are represented by a wealth of monsters, demons, centaurs, and other creatures from The Book of Kells , anonymous Viking artists, and the works of Hieronymus Bosch, Dürer, and others. Global in scope, this vast trove also includes hundreds of non-European papier-mache masks from Latin America, Oriental deities and demons, feathered serpents from pre-Columbian Aztec and Mayan sources, Navajo sand paintings, and more.

Genres: Art, Reference, Mythology, Historical, Nonfiction, Dragons, Design

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1981

Reviews

[Frank Merkx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a reading book, merely a visual study book. Great drawings, beautiful collection! The book is A4. Rather big. Multiple drawings per page. Clearly a focus on demons.

[Kanea · Rating 3 out of 5]

So..for me personally, I was hoping to find a book that had more mythological creatures/beasts/animals. This book is good! And a useful tool, but it's filled more with demons, primitive masks, God's & Godesses of yore then actual say chimeras or phoenixes. It is a good book but if your looking for something to expand your knowledge of mythological animals rather then demons then this isnt the book! Still useful! It's hard to believe the ugly and crazy things people drew up once upon a time!

[R.A. Danger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pictures in here have ancient drawings, medieval drawings, an other styles around the world, from the familiar like a griffin to the weird drawings of demons that the medieval artists drawn. There is also Heraldic Figures, surreal and abstract art. Dates from mostly 3100 B.C. to the 20th century, unless it says prehistoric.
Drawings are taken from just about anywhere from stone, mask, fabric, paper, etc.
From: ancient Egypt, ancient Middle East, ancient Greece, ancient Scythia, ancient Italy, the Vikings, Europe, Gargoyles (Europe and USA), United States, Latin America, Islam, India, China, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Bhutan, Sikkim, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Oceania, New Guinea, Melanesia, Australia, Africa, Pre-Columbian America (Mayan, Maya-Toltec, Aztec, Mixtec, Zapotec, Olmec, and few other places), Pre-Columbian Central and South America, Pre-Columbian Caribbean, North American Indians, and Greenland.
Most of the drawings are taken from Europe and Asia. This book is good for artist that want to drew some new creature or just get ideas for doing a new type of creature they can call their own; or for people that just enjoy drawings. Unless you be making a movie and want to know what type of pictures to hang on the wall. Either way one can choose many ways to use or enjoy the pictures in here.
The only problem I found was that some creatures that had names didn’t have it in the bottom of the page.

[Adam Finnegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWSOME display of artistic minds throughout history, and has some of my blood intertwined because James Ensor is an ancestor of mine he has 2 pieces in here. but incredible book for visual arts!!

[Meryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was buying a book about mythological creatures. Sadly, I ended up with a book of illustrations of mythological creatures from architecture and art. With no text. Pointless.

[Abby Goldsmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of silhouettes and clip art, but some interesting stuff here and there.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

excellent source of art rendtions--all pictures